Nine Westwood Residents Named to Steering Committee for New Design, Site Recommendations for Fire Station 1

Westwood Select Board on Sunday, November 16th, via a unanimous vote in a remote meeting, has appointed nine Westwood residents to a steering committee tasked with narrowing designs and locations for a new Fire Station 1 (FS1) to the two most viable options, as the community regroups in a renewed attempt to move forward with plans to replace the existing station.

The nine members of the new steering committee are:

• Nancy James
• Sarah Cantley
• Ford Spaulding
• Ken Aries
• Jodi Petrucelli
• John Cummings
• Peter Bean
• Harry Davis
• Paul Dullea

As explained by Interim Town Administrator Molly Fitzpatrick, the nine names were those that occupied the top nine spots after ranking of all 14 nominees. Select Board members first ranked the nominees and Ms. Fitzpatrick also applied a simple point system, she said, to obtain the final ranking she presented to the board.

Although Select Board initially intended the advisory group to have seven members, the board accepted Ms. Fitzpatrick’s recommendation to enlarge the group to nine. There was a three-way tie among nominees Peter Bean, Harry Davis, and Paul Dullea for the seventh spot. Ms. Fitzpatrick explained that a larger group would be more likely to reach a quorum when members are absent. Select Board agreed and ultimately approved all three to serve on the committee.

“I believe we have a really good cross representation of the community,” said Select Board Chair Rob Gotti as he reviewed the names of the nominees and noted a diversity in gender, age, and geographic residence.

Mr. Gotti invited the five nominees who will not be on the steering committee - Jesse Kaddy, Margery Eramo, Ken Foscaldo, Gary Yessaillian, and Wendy Thurmond - to contact him if they are interested in serving on the Long Range Financial Planning Committee. Mr. Gotti expects that the committee will soon have an open seat, given that one of its members – Jodi Petrucelli – will be devoting time to the new FS1 steering committee.

Select Board member Marianne Cummings said, “For the folks [ ] that did volunteer but are not selected for the group, we very much value your voices and we hope that everybody will stay engaged in this process, which is going to be open. So, thank you for stepping up and please continue to be engaged in the process."

Although Westwood voters initially approved costs of $38.1 million to construct a new fire station in a count of standing votes at a May 19 Town Meeting this year, voters at the ballot box subsequently twice rejected the mechanism needed to fund the project - a debt exclusion to raise property taxes in excess of state law, Proposition 2 1/2.

Westwood residents largely have supported the idea of renovating or replacing FS1, but some have expressed frustration over what they say is town officials’ dismissiveness toward taxpayer affordability concerns. They also have complained of lack of transparency.

Town officials have long planned to renovate or replace Westwood’s Fire Station 1 on High Street for being undersized, for having deteriorating infrastructure, and lacking modern safety features for firefighters.

The newly formed FS1 steering committee replaces the disbanded FS1 working group in an advisory role to Select Board. Members of the previous working group, however, may be called upon to contribute information and expertise to the renewed undertaking.

For hyperlocal news you can use, subscribe to Westwood Minute!

You may also be interested in:

- Westwood Select Board Will Disband FS1 Working Group and Create New Advisory Committee

- Fresh Start to Plan for a New Fire Station 1: Residents Share Ideas with FS1 Working Group (Updated 10/10/2025)

- Westwood Select Board Chooses Connor Read as Next Town Administrator

- Want to Know More about the Litigation, Town of Westwood v. Westwood Land Trust?